Tissington is one of the prettiest and
most unspoilt villages not only in Derbyshire but in the whole of the country.
The entrance used by most visitors off the main Ashbourne to Buxton road,
through large rusticated lodge gates.

An avenue of 200 year old lime trees,
immediately creates an air of expectancy. Surprisingly this fine approach does
not lead directly to Tissington Hall, but the village itself. Neat well tended
gardens and limestone cottages, behind wide grass verges and backed by mature
trees, give a feeling of peace and tranquillity. No planner designed it; the
beauty of the village is the result of evolution.

Since the reign of Elizabeth I, the
FitzHerbert family have managed the village, most of it having been rebuilt
between 1830 and 1860 in traditional local style. The home of the FitzHerberts
is an elegant Jacobean Manor, which stands just back from the main street behind
a walled garden. The wall is broken only by a handsome 17th century
gateway with wrought iron gates by the famous Derbyshire blacksmith, Robert
Bakewell. The gateway was taken down and rebuilt in the 1950s because it was ten
inches out of plumb!

Built in 1609 by Francis FitzHerbert, the house has been
much extended by his descendants. It replaced an earlier hall, which stood on
the opposite side of the road within the confines of an ancient Derbyshire Hill
fort.

It has not always been peaceful in Tissington, as during the Civil War it was the site of a skirmish between
royalists and parliamentarians. The FitzHerberts supported the Royalist cause
and the family were lucky to escape the destruction of their home, the
punishment meted out to many royalists by the supporters of Oliver Cromwell.

St Mary’s Church rises steeply above the
main road through the village with a sparkling stream flowing close to the
entrance to the churchyard. Built early in the 12th century, but
heavily restored 700 years later, it has a massive Norman tower, with four foot
thick walls and a well preserved Norman doorway. Inside there is a baroque style
17th century memorial to the FitzHerbert family, a finely carved
communion rail and an early Norman font, which bears crude symbolic carvings.

The pillars of
the doorway are worth close inspection, the grooves having been worn by archers
sharpening their arrows in readiness for archery practice. This skill was much
encouraged after the Black Death, which had left the country short of
experienced bowmen.

Tissington is
known as the mother place of well dressing and visitors come from all over the
world to witness the annual well dressing ceremony. This takes place on
Ascension Day, when five attractive wells are dressed together with a children’s
well.

Dressing
consists of erecting boards covered in clay, into which thousands of flower
petals are pressed to create an elaborate tableaux of some biblical or
topographical scene. It is probable that well dressing took place in 1350, in
thanksgiving for the village’s escape from the Black Death, which was attributed
to the purity of its water. Wells have been dressed ever since but not in
unbroken succession. The precise origins of well dressing are unknown but may
date from before the Romans.

When the railway came to the village in
1900 Sir Richard insisted that the line should be placed in a cutting. The
Railway Company, it is said, built the cottages adjacent to the station in red
brick in retaliation for the inconvenience. Following the closure of the line in
1963 the track was converted into the Tissington Trail and ever since has been
very popular with walkers and cyclists.

In the heart of
the village close by the green is the pond where the ducks still swim serenely.
Tucked in the corner by the pond are the Old Kitchen Gardens where shrubs and
other perennial garden plants are grown.

The Old
School House, no longer a village school, is now used as a Kindergarten to
educate the very young. Further along the road a surprise awaits at Yew Tree
Cottage where part of the building has been turned into a small candle workshop.
Formerly a Blacksmith’s house, which is decorated with motifs of the trade - the
Wright family were blacksmiths in the village for 90 years. In front of the
cottage is Yew Tree Well.

The Old
Coach House to the hall has been sympathetically restored and offers morning
coffee, lunches and teas in delightful surroundings. There is a gift shop in the
village, a butcher and even a shop selling curtains and covers close to the A515
on the Buxton side of the village.

No
recommendation of any establishment is implied by inclusion on this
website.

PLACES OF
SPECIAL INTEREST IN THE LOCALITY

Tissington Hall
(Tel. 01335 352200) a fine Jacobean Manor House in
the heart of the village. Open to the
public for guided tours (see the
Tissington Feature).

Ilam Village with its alpine
style cottages and close proximity to Dovedale makes it a very popular
attraction. The National Trust grounds and country park of Ilam Hall are open to
the public.

Ashbourne
is one of Derbyshire’s finest towns, with a wealth of Georgian architecture. The
triangular cobbled Market Place holds markets twice per week on Thursday and
Saturday.

REFRESHMENTS

The Coach and Horses, Fenny Bentley
(Tel. 01335 350246) charming 16th century pub, with beamed ceiling, stone
flagged floors and a coal fire in winter. Meals served at lunchtimes and in the
evenings during the week and all day at the weekend.

Bassett Wood Farm
(Tel. 01335 350254) situated in a lovely
countryside setting, morning coffee and afternoon teas are served daily in the
summer.
Please telephone for details or visit website. The Pets Paddock is an added
bonus.

The Old Coach House
(Tel. 01335 350501) Award winning tea rooms in the beautifully renovated
Coach House to Tissington Hall.Please telephone for details or visit website.

THE DISCOVER DERBYSHIRE AND
THE PEAK DISTRICT GUIDE

Provides a
wide range of features with heritage trails and
detailed countryside walks, through some of the most scenically
attractive countryside in the UK.

From the former railway station the route follows the
Tissington Trail along what once was the railway trackbed. After crossing the
bridge over the A515 it enters a cutting where a nature reserve has been
established.

On
leaving the trail the walk continues across the fields before descending gently
to Fenny Bentley.

On the
opposite side of the road from the Fenny Bentley Church stands Cherry Orchard
Farm originally the home of the Beresford family.

The
route then rises steadily through meadowland past Bassett Wood Farm and back to
explore the picturesque village of Tissington.

For more information on this lovely walk click the link
at the foot of this column.